Become
by Twilight Memories
Summary: [oneshot] “Why is it everyone with issues seems to be the strongest?” he murmured quietly. “Only the strong will win while the weak fall, that’s always how it goes. We’ll all fail eventually.”


_Hello all! I am back--with another oneshot. :D These things are so fun... e.e'_

_Erm... right, anywho, got this idea while having to watch a video during Earth Science class. :3 Luckily that's my last class for the day so i could keep all my ideas within my head easier. I'm glad i did, 'cause i started writing this and at one point i really began trailing off and not getting to the story's point... so i had to rewrite some of it again, so now i'm posting the final result. :3_

_Anyway, -enjoy it-._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gash Bell, the creator of it is a genious while i'm a wannabe graphics artist and writer. Get used to it._

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Become

The clock slowly ticked away as the minutes casually rolled by. Outside, a couple of birds chirped a little before hopping about on a branch and taking off, only to be lost from sight in the red horizon of the setting sun. Inside his room, Kiyomaro watched with little interest as he balanced a pencil on his nose.

Staring blankly at the dull white ceiling, the teen sighed, lost in deep thought. The world was busy with its own problems as were its people.

And he was one of them.

The mamono war: something much more powerful than what he could have ever dreamed of as a small boy. Just from its name, one would initially get the impression that it was simply a fantasy thing drawn out from a child's fairy tale book.

But it wasn't from some fantasy story, mused the teen. In truth, it was quite realistic, and what was more extreme, was that he was thrown right in the middle of it. To think it was a full-fledged war, all to determine a mythical and yet real world's king.

Definitely like a fairy tale.

Continuing to stare up at the ceiling, Kiyomaro sighed one last time as he glanced out the window, out towards the different houses and the road in his neighborhood. Gash, the demon whose book he had been entrusted with, was out at the park, most likely being harassed by that Nao-something girl or whoever it was. Despite the fact the blonde haired demon talked about her all the time, Kiyomaro never paid any heed, as usual.

Instead, he was usually contemplating the different ways to make his demon companion win the war instead of the child's useless babbling. From the start, there were a total of 100 pairs just like them, all of which were to fight for the crown of the Makai, their home world. The demons came in all different sizes, shapes, personalities, abilities, and not to mention power.

Power… 

Frowning, the black haired teen's nose twitched as he snorted, causing the pencil to fall to the ground with a small _tap-tap._ This he ignored, but still continued to muse over the extent of the five-letter word.

With power, the demons had to win the war to claim the throne. With power, the demons had to battle one another to achieve that victory, burning every book they could lay their hands, claws, or whatever they had, on. It was destiny that one of these mamono characters would prevail above all others, taking the title as King as their own. It all relied on _power_. _And yet…_

Power was only given to those that worked for it, or those that had something to strive for. What did he have to struggle for? Simply to make Gash the kind king of the Makai. What powered this strength? Something very deep… Gash was one of the only to truly befriend him of his free will, and Kiyomaro was grateful for that. Because of him, he too had something to live for.

What others were in situations like this? He knew of a few, but the very best example he could come up with was a team that he and Gash had only encountered a couple of times: Brago and Sherry Belmond. The human of the two had suffered a tragic past, and to this day, he knew that she was an extremely strong person. So what did she strive for? Freeing her friend. What fueled this strength? The burning desire to free her, simply. This friend of hers he knew was her only savior and friend. Of course she would want to protect someone like that. The Japanese teen had seen this woman and demon's awesome power before. There was almost no stopping it. They had that much.

Some of his friends were also extremely powerful, but not to the extent of the examples of he, Gash, and the other darker team. Megumi and Tio could cast extraordinary defense spells, but they lacked the strength in physical combat. In the beginning, Tio was not a very trusting person, but that soon changed, and the want to help her friends was what gave her energy.

Folgore and Kanchome were not exactly a strong team, but they proved to be useful and helpful through the battles. They were very trusting. However, Kiyomaro knew that they would definitely _not_ win the war; it was just something inevitable. Only the truly powerful would prevail. Even with Umagon, whose trusting strength in himself and others gave him power, would not win. That was just how it worked.

Even so, with all of his friends there to help, the dark haired teen feared that one day, they would all meet their matches, even when combining their strength. They almost had during that one time they fought against Zophise alongside with Brago and Sherry. So many eventful things happened, such as how one of their own allies had even left because of the simple fact their book had been burned; the simple rules to the not so simple game: if you're book burns, it's game _over_. The chance of that happening to everyone else was increasing every day.

The battles were becoming more fierce and long and the chance of survival was becoming harder. Like all wars, there was a turning point, and one day, that point would come for them all. Whether the change was good or bad, it would arrive, and the strongest had a higher chance of prevailing through the difficult time. And those that were the strongest always had something to strive for because of something that had happened in the past. Most of his friends didn't have as high of a chance.

But what of him and Gash? As much as he hated to boast about himself to his most precious friends in a trying battle, he knew they had a higher chance of winning. Gash was becoming extremely powerful very quickly and they just might make it to the final rounds for the crown. He wondered if the others realized this too?

After a while, Kiyomaro sighed, looking around with a serious and yet dazed look. "Why is it everyone with issues seems to be the strongest?" he murmured quietly. "Only the strong will win while the weak fall, that's always how it goes. We'll all fail eventually."

"But isn't that what friends are for?"

Startled, the teen turned around, only to face none other than Gash Bell himself. The small boy was staring at him through his deep gold eyes, trying to figure out the meaning to his bookkeeper's sudden remark. His left hand gripped upon his precious toy in unease.

Kiyomaro blinked, sitting up from his desk. "Gash…?"

"Unuu, that _is_ what they're for…. Right?" The child's voice wasn't timid, but strong and encouraging. He knew exactly what he was saying as he looked his friend in the eye. "Friends are there to help you become stronger! Kiyomaro has to believe that we have friends. So we're not as strong as others on our own, but they're always going to be there for us, even until the end. That's the biggest strength of them all, to stand up with your friends, isn't that right?"

The abrupt answer came as a slight surprise to Kiyomaro. Never before had he truly thought to the extent of power other than most physical strength or the determination to continue on. Yet here Gash was telling him there was strength within friends too, something of which they would all share with another.

"Friends fight as and become one, Kiyomaro! I refuse to believe that only the truly powerful can win this war!" A small tear trickled down the child's cheek as he stared up at the larger boy. His hands shook as well as his head, still looking him in the eye. "You have to understand that to become stronger or we _will_ fail!"

The silence within the room thickened and the demon boy said no more. For a moment, the teenager pondered over what his companion just said. Friends fight and become as one, which was the truth. When they fought as one, they were just as powerful as those with no allies at all. So in reality, it could have been considered the same thing. One didn't _have_ to have a troubled past to become strong. Friends could fight together.

To become one… 

Grinning slightly, Kiyomaro sighed and stood up, walking a few steps before bending down on his knee to face the blonde haired demon. Both continued to stare at each other in the eye for a minute before the human teen nodded his head, smiling and resting his hand upon the child's head.

"You're right Gash. You're absolutely right."


End file.
